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Posts published in “TV Analysis”

Tips and stories from around the Web

Even though we’re soon arriving to this wonderful blog’s one-year anniversary, I currently have a bit less time to post exciting fresh content.
Don’t worry though, it’s coming.

In the meantime however, other peeps out there have been much more fruitful in their postings.
Case in point with what I found in the last few days:

First up, a nice article that you probably have read by now at John August’s great blog.
It’s a first-person account by a “25-year old nascent screenwriter” named Jonny Sommers of what it’s like being a showrunner’s assistant: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Continuing on the great insight of a writers’ room, we have a Life executive producer (Diana Peterson) interviewing a Life writer’s assistant (Melissa Scrivner).
Again, an informative interview that nicely sums up what it takes to be an assistant in H-Wood.

Two perfect almost-how-to guides in becoming a writer’s assistant.

Moving up the ladder, both Variety and THR have Emmy-centered articles around the site, including a couple that I found interesting:
Emmy Watch: Writer-Director is a post about how many writers have become directors and vice-versa, playing both fields (Movie/TV) at the same time.
On the other hand we have a pretty self-explanatory article with Emmys ignore writing staff contributions, about how all TV shows are really a group-effort (especially comedies) yet the Emmys with their individual noms “leave no room for collaboration”.

Nikki Finke has one of those rare interesting post telling about how The Hangover came to be.

And finally, we have a more humorous link with SideReel‘s Honest Network Taglines.
Sneek peak:

If I were to speak on the networks’ behalf, I would say “Touché“.

NBC makes me laugh (at it)

Continuing on yesterday’s NBC fake-Upfronts (they’re called Infronts now? Puh-lease.), let’s see what Dumb and Dumber have in store for us this season.

 
Hi, I’m here to talk about awesome stuff.

I didn’t know Silverman was a comedian, but I’ve got to hand it to him, he knows how to make people laugh:

We are thrilled to be announcing such an awesome slate of new series that build on our existing quality brand and deliver emotional, human stories.

Awesome?
Many words come into my mind when I think of NBC’s new shows, but “awesome” isn’t one of them.

Also, take a look at the title for the PR:

NBC ANNOUNCES AMBITIOUS LINEUP OF PROGRAMMING DOMINATED BY NEW SCRIPTED SERIES FOR 2009-2010 PRIMETIME SEASON THAT EXTENDS THE NETWORK’S QUALITY BRAND

Ambitious?
Hilarious.

Now off to this awesome yet ambitious lineup:

100 Questions (for Charlotte Payne)

The pick-up was pretty much a given since day one (not the show).
But Oh God, how I loathe laugh tracks…

Community

John Oliver? I’m in.
It might be funny after all.

Day One

As predicted, they’re pushing the show and taunting it as an “epic event”.
Reminds me of the promotional stunts NBC pulled way back when for Heroes.
The show should premiere during the 2010 Olympics, talk about a push!

Mercy

Just one question: Where is Nurse Laverne?

Parenthood

Ron Howard laughing at other people’s misery is even funnier than it sounds.

Trauma

Even in these tough economic times, NBC is still willing to shell out several millions for an explosion on a San Fran bridge.
Way to go.

And, last but sure as hell not least, the mother of all shows, on primetime, I give you…

The Jay Leno Show!

I’m definitely not going to check this schedule out this fall.
Oh, wait, we still don’t have any tangible schedule.

Online saving

A month after Disney gets its 30% share in Hulu (why is everyone only surprised about it now?), all the ABC shows that will be streaming there have been announced:

– Full episodes for ABC’s Lost and Grey’s Anatomy as well as ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Greek.
– Episodes from some ABC daytime shows like General Hospital and The View.
– Canceled/old shows like Commander in Chief, Hope & Faith, as well as Less Than Perfect.
– A few Disney Channel shows as well as a couple of classic Disney movies.

Meanwhile, E!’s Save One Show poll results have been announced with The Sarah Connor Chronicles leading at 53%, more than twice the numbers that Chuck pulled (25%) and over five times Dollhouse‘s (10%). Life only got 8% followed by Privileged at 4%.

For those who care, I’m also still working on my list of pilots that I think will get picked up (more on that next week) as well as my “What you need to know before the new Star Trek” post.